1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to covers for medical devices, and more particularly to covers for stethoscopes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A stethoscope is an essential tool for most health professionals. So important is the stethoscope to health professionals that it is standard practice for health professionals to wear a stethoscope around the neck throughout the work day. However, fair proportion of society's many health professionals would prefer not to be burdened by some of the drawbacks to wearing this essential health tool. Experience has shown that there are serious, practical problems that wearing a stethoscope can cause, problems that can interfere with a health professional's work duties. For example, stethoscopes as a rule have latex tubing that transmits sound from a sound-input or "bell" portion of a stethoscope to a listening portion of a stethoscope. This latex tubing frequently causes an allergic reaction in health professionals who wear a stethoscope around the neck. Estimates indicate that as many as 17% of all health professionals who wear stethoscopes are affected by an allergic reaction to latex in stethoscopes to a degree that is not only painful, but also disruptive of work duties. Additionally, health professionals often find that patients, especially young ones, are intimidated by healthcare processes. For a health professional to have a strange medical device wrapped around the neck only adds to this intimidation, and makes patients more difficult to work with. For these reasons, there is a substantial need for a cover for stethoscopes that is hypoallergenic, comfortable against the skin, and aesthetically appealing. The cover should be machine washable to ensure ease of re-use, thereby avoiding waste. Although many covers have been devised, no cover provides the advantages of the present invention, and no cover adequately meets the problems faced by the many health professionals who wear stethoscopes out of necessity.
U.S. Pat. No. 989,714, issued on Apr. 18, 1911, to Arcangelo Lepre, describes a watchmaker's appliance. This patent does not show a stethoscope cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,960, issued on Oct. 26, 1965, to Glen Wagner, describes a protective and insulating cover for a stethoscope's sound-input portion. This patent does not show the use of releasable fasteners nor the application of a cover to a central portion of a stethoscope, and therefore would have little value as a decorative device and no use for preventing allergic reactions in a wearer of a stethoscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,091, issued on Feb. 26, 1974, to Robert A. Ersek et al., describes a sheath for a surgical light. The sheath is meant to ensure sterility during use of the light. This patent does not show the use of releasable fasteners nor the application of a cover to a central, tubular portion of a stethoscope, and therefore would have little value as a decorative device and no use for preventing allergic reactions in a wearer of a stethoscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,265, issued on Sep. 19, 1989, to L. Bradley Wright, describes a protective and insulating cover for a stethoscope's sound-input portion. This patent does not show the use of releasable fasteners nor the application of a cover to a central portion of a stethoscope, and therefore would have little value as a decorative device and no use for preventing allergic reactions in a stethoscope user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,046, issued on Oct. 3, 1989, to Kenneth R. Turner, describes a sheath for a sound-input portion of a stethoscope. The sheath is meant to ensure sterility during use of the stethoscope. This patent does not show the use of releasable fasteners nor the application of a cover to a central portion of a stethoscope, and therefore would have little value as a decorative device and no use for preventing allergic reactions in a stethoscope user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,846, issued on May 14, 1991, to Scott A. Walker et al., describes a zippable protective cover for eye glasses that is integral with a strap for eye-glasses. This patent does not suggest use of a cover with a stethoscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,572, issued on Jun. 11, 1991, to Steven W. Brown, describes a zippable cover for a bicycle pump. This patent does not suggest use of a cover with a stethoscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,164, issued on Oct. 13, 1992, to Toshio Chikama, describes an anchor for an endoscope. This patent shows use of a transparent bag to cover the endoscope. This patent does not show the use of releasable fasteners nor the application of an opaque cover to a central portion of a stethoscope, and therefore would have little value as a decorative device and no use for preventing allergic reactions in a stethoscope user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,506, issued on Oct. 12, 1993, to Toshio Itagaki, describes a cover for a steering wheel. This patent does not suggest use of a hypo-allergenic, decorative cover with a stethoscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,314, issued on Dec. 14, 1993, to Dwain Kendall et al., describes a thermally insulating cover for a face of a sound-input portion of a stethoscope. This patent does not show the use of releasable fasteners nor the application of a cover to a central portion of a stethoscope, and therefore would have little value as a decorative device and no use for preventing allergic reactions in a stethoscope user.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.